kolkata: Following Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's instruction, the State Water Resources Investigation and Development Department is all set to provide water to 3.82 lakh hectare land especially in those areas where there was a deficit in rainfall this year so that farmers do not face any difficulties in Rabi and Boro cultivation.
Manas Ranjan Bhunia, State Water Resources Investigation and Development (WRI & D) Department Minister said that the Chief Minister has given specific instructions to ensure that each and every farmer gets the supply of water for cultivation of Rabi and Boro. The department will ensure that the farmers in the districts where there has been a deficit of rainfall this year receive adequate supply of water for irrigation. A meeting was recently held between the Irrigation, Agriculture and WRI&D departments to chalk out elaborate plans to ensure that farmers do not face any inconveniences. The districts like Birbhum, East Burdwan, Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram witnessed a deficit in rainfall this year, the minister pointed out.
The WRI & D department will supply water to 2,59,675 hectare lands where famers will cultivate Rabi crops, the minister said. Out of this, around 99,487 hectare lands will be covered by Tube wells while 1,21,205 hectare lands will get water for irrigation through RLI schemes. Irrigation water will be provided to 34,319 hectare lands through Surface Water Schemes/Water Harvesting Tank (WHT)/Check Dam/Surface Flow Minor Irrigation Scheme (SFMIS). Around 4,664 hectares of land will be provided water from solar schemes (surface and groundwater), Bhunia told the reporters on Wednesday.
The department will also ensure that 1,22,408 hectare lands receive irrigation water for Boro cultivation. Out of the total land where Boro cultivation would be undertaken, around 48,781 hectare lands would receive water through tube wells while 60,121 hectare will receive irrigation water through RLI schemes. Water will be supplied to 11,253 hectare through WHT/Check Dam/SFMIS. Around 2,253 hectare will receive water from solar schemes.
The minister said that all the senior officials in the districts including the mechanical and irrigation engineers to ensure that irrigation water is supplied to each and every farmer. All officers in the districts have been instructed to make all the schemes functional so that farmers do not face any difficulties.